Post by mickyflash on Feb 14, 2010 2:33:35 GMT
Well I have just arrived back home (and yes, I do live in Torquay) after a very disappointing day at Plainmoor, I have decided to write a match report on Today’s game. You may or may not know that I do not post that often, and I was in two minds whether or not I should post tonight as I do not want to be labelled as one who only comes out the woodwork when we play badly, but anyway here I am!
Now I haven’t read this thread yet so I apologise in advance if I am repeating what has already been said, or indeed contradicting the general concentious!
I have always been firmly in the Paul Buckle camp, I still am, but I am deeply disappointed with what I saw today, I was full of excitement this morning getting ready for the game, It was a funny feeling, not optimism by any means, this was my first game since the FA Cup defeat by Brighton on the 2nd January, I had been called away with a family emergency which has caused my first absence at Plainmoor for about 3 years and I really didn’t know what to expect as I headed for Plainmoor this afternoon.
Obviously the team has changed dramatically since I last saw the gulls play but I found myself defending Buckle in the pub prior to kick off, this in its self was odd were normally quite positive during our pre match drink, but on paper I could pretty much agree with all the changes that had been made
Well to Kick off, and after about 10 mins of watching Port Vale pass around us with ease I feared the worse, we looked pretty toothless for the first 25mins our midfield quartet of O’Kane, Wroe Mansell and Thomson looked anonymous until about 10 minutes before half time when Nicky Wroe seemed to take the game by the scruff of the neck, which in turn allowed Lee Mansell to have a bit of possession on the ball. Apart from watching Jake Thomson running down the wing to the by-line with no end product, the only real action came when Mo Camara played a wonderful cross field pass which Ashley Barnes took beautifully on his chest, shooting on the half volley causing the Vale keeper to make an outstanding save, there was definite shades of Louis Saha’s goal against Chelsea to go with our newfound shades of “If we can nick a goal here, we could win it!”
Well 4 mins before half time the referee gives a soft free kick to port vale right on the edge of the box, to the disgust of Pop side, however (and I might be alone here and I haven’t seen the highlights yet either) I thought it was the correct decision, it was a foul! So the referee is well within his right to award a free kick, in fact I felt he let the first foul go and only awarded a free kick when (charnock?) continued to hold on to the Vale striker.
Predictably Port Vale score from the free kick which prompts cries of “you don’t know what you’re doing”, “one nil to the referee” and worse from the pop side – now is it just me or is this just boring now! Its not as if they scored directly from the free kick! The strike hit the wall, we failed to defend it properly, didn’t clear our lines, and didn’t block the shot, and as far as I am concerned we conceded that goal and vale probably deserved to go in ahead.
I was hoping Buckle was going get his hairdryer out at half time, we hadn’t showed up in the first 45 against a good solid side but we was only one nil down, this game was there to be won! The only change at the half time interval was our very own Scott Bevon coming on to replace Michael Poke, and I must say what a nice and rare feeling it is when your first choice keeper has to come off and there isn’t that feeling of ‘oh Christ!’
Unfortunately that was the only change from the first half as we continued to lose possession easily and had no bite in the centre of the pitch, Lee Mansell’s nick name of Lamby has never been more appropriate as he certainly looked like a lost sheep out there today, bless him!
However an inspired substitution from Paul Buckle taking off the lacklustre Thomson for Elliot Benyon was to give us all a gilmour of hope when Elliot toe poked in a flick on from Chris Zebroski from close range, Ive always said Elliot has a cracking first touch! 1 each and maybe just maybe...
After the equaliser we probably enjoyed our best spell of the match with O’Kane showing some tidy footwork, and Elliot and Ahsley Barnes working well together up front but as the game wore on holes started to appear in our defensive line, we didn’t heed the warning signs and once more failed to clear our lines to be sucker punched and find ourselves behind once more.
Then for me came the really disappointing aspect of the afternoon, our heads dropped, with 20 mins left on the clock we decided to feel sorry for ourselves once more and pretty much gave up resorting in those ‘Im pretending to care’ long balls up top. Nicky started to sulk and he and Mansell dropped deeper and deeper towards our back 4 creating an almighty hole between midfield and attack, I was looking around for someone to step up and take responsibility but to be honest we looked exactly like what we are, a team of loans and makeshift signings playing for a wage, and that is what hurts.
Apart from a few corners, a direct free kick blazed high wide and handsome from Mo Camera the game was dead, no points and que the we huffed and puffed but didn’t take our chances script that we’ve all heard before, and que the ridiculous Paul Buckle Out Chants
So my first chance to see many of the new boys so heres what I made of them
Mo Camara
Played okay, nice left foot, tired quickly but no better than your run of the mill left back in this league in fact does he really offer that much more than Nicho?
Guy Branston
Faily Solid, had some moments in the first half and is quite capable of losing his man, MOM best of a bad bunch really only a matter of time before he puts in one of those late challanges that will see him sent to the stands
Eunan O'Kane
Neat, Tidy, good player but not in the game enough and not what we need in this moment in time
Ashley Barnes
Good Player, Nice Touch, will score goals for us, was the only positive for me today
Midfield Mansell
Not Strong enough, oh how we missed Hargreaves today
Captain Wroe
Head dropped way too early, and too quiet. I would give it to Carsile when he returns
Where do we go from here? Upwards hopefully, we can’t get much further down, I have to say though that today was the first time this season that we looked like relegation candidates, Unfortunately Paul Buckle put all his eggs in one basket freeing up the wage bill during January in the hope of netting a big fish, and failing. Now the team is weaker than it was before xmas and we will see the all too familiar desperate signings to try and bulk out the squad between now and the end of the season. However this year was always going to be about consolidation and change was always required, It’s unfortunate the way this change has gone about over the last month or so but I have confidence in what Paul is trying to do and the type of player he has been bringing in on permanent deals at least is of a good standard, I still think we should back him and believe we have more about us than Grimsby, Cheltenham and Darlington
Now I haven’t read this thread yet so I apologise in advance if I am repeating what has already been said, or indeed contradicting the general concentious!
I have always been firmly in the Paul Buckle camp, I still am, but I am deeply disappointed with what I saw today, I was full of excitement this morning getting ready for the game, It was a funny feeling, not optimism by any means, this was my first game since the FA Cup defeat by Brighton on the 2nd January, I had been called away with a family emergency which has caused my first absence at Plainmoor for about 3 years and I really didn’t know what to expect as I headed for Plainmoor this afternoon.
Obviously the team has changed dramatically since I last saw the gulls play but I found myself defending Buckle in the pub prior to kick off, this in its self was odd were normally quite positive during our pre match drink, but on paper I could pretty much agree with all the changes that had been made
Well to Kick off, and after about 10 mins of watching Port Vale pass around us with ease I feared the worse, we looked pretty toothless for the first 25mins our midfield quartet of O’Kane, Wroe Mansell and Thomson looked anonymous until about 10 minutes before half time when Nicky Wroe seemed to take the game by the scruff of the neck, which in turn allowed Lee Mansell to have a bit of possession on the ball. Apart from watching Jake Thomson running down the wing to the by-line with no end product, the only real action came when Mo Camara played a wonderful cross field pass which Ashley Barnes took beautifully on his chest, shooting on the half volley causing the Vale keeper to make an outstanding save, there was definite shades of Louis Saha’s goal against Chelsea to go with our newfound shades of “If we can nick a goal here, we could win it!”
Well 4 mins before half time the referee gives a soft free kick to port vale right on the edge of the box, to the disgust of Pop side, however (and I might be alone here and I haven’t seen the highlights yet either) I thought it was the correct decision, it was a foul! So the referee is well within his right to award a free kick, in fact I felt he let the first foul go and only awarded a free kick when (charnock?) continued to hold on to the Vale striker.
Predictably Port Vale score from the free kick which prompts cries of “you don’t know what you’re doing”, “one nil to the referee” and worse from the pop side – now is it just me or is this just boring now! Its not as if they scored directly from the free kick! The strike hit the wall, we failed to defend it properly, didn’t clear our lines, and didn’t block the shot, and as far as I am concerned we conceded that goal and vale probably deserved to go in ahead.
I was hoping Buckle was going get his hairdryer out at half time, we hadn’t showed up in the first 45 against a good solid side but we was only one nil down, this game was there to be won! The only change at the half time interval was our very own Scott Bevon coming on to replace Michael Poke, and I must say what a nice and rare feeling it is when your first choice keeper has to come off and there isn’t that feeling of ‘oh Christ!’
Unfortunately that was the only change from the first half as we continued to lose possession easily and had no bite in the centre of the pitch, Lee Mansell’s nick name of Lamby has never been more appropriate as he certainly looked like a lost sheep out there today, bless him!
However an inspired substitution from Paul Buckle taking off the lacklustre Thomson for Elliot Benyon was to give us all a gilmour of hope when Elliot toe poked in a flick on from Chris Zebroski from close range, Ive always said Elliot has a cracking first touch! 1 each and maybe just maybe...
After the equaliser we probably enjoyed our best spell of the match with O’Kane showing some tidy footwork, and Elliot and Ahsley Barnes working well together up front but as the game wore on holes started to appear in our defensive line, we didn’t heed the warning signs and once more failed to clear our lines to be sucker punched and find ourselves behind once more.
Then for me came the really disappointing aspect of the afternoon, our heads dropped, with 20 mins left on the clock we decided to feel sorry for ourselves once more and pretty much gave up resorting in those ‘Im pretending to care’ long balls up top. Nicky started to sulk and he and Mansell dropped deeper and deeper towards our back 4 creating an almighty hole between midfield and attack, I was looking around for someone to step up and take responsibility but to be honest we looked exactly like what we are, a team of loans and makeshift signings playing for a wage, and that is what hurts.
Apart from a few corners, a direct free kick blazed high wide and handsome from Mo Camera the game was dead, no points and que the we huffed and puffed but didn’t take our chances script that we’ve all heard before, and que the ridiculous Paul Buckle Out Chants
So my first chance to see many of the new boys so heres what I made of them
Mo Camara
Played okay, nice left foot, tired quickly but no better than your run of the mill left back in this league in fact does he really offer that much more than Nicho?
Guy Branston
Faily Solid, had some moments in the first half and is quite capable of losing his man, MOM best of a bad bunch really only a matter of time before he puts in one of those late challanges that will see him sent to the stands
Eunan O'Kane
Neat, Tidy, good player but not in the game enough and not what we need in this moment in time
Ashley Barnes
Good Player, Nice Touch, will score goals for us, was the only positive for me today
Midfield Mansell
Not Strong enough, oh how we missed Hargreaves today
Captain Wroe
Head dropped way too early, and too quiet. I would give it to Carsile when he returns
Where do we go from here? Upwards hopefully, we can’t get much further down, I have to say though that today was the first time this season that we looked like relegation candidates, Unfortunately Paul Buckle put all his eggs in one basket freeing up the wage bill during January in the hope of netting a big fish, and failing. Now the team is weaker than it was before xmas and we will see the all too familiar desperate signings to try and bulk out the squad between now and the end of the season. However this year was always going to be about consolidation and change was always required, It’s unfortunate the way this change has gone about over the last month or so but I have confidence in what Paul is trying to do and the type of player he has been bringing in on permanent deals at least is of a good standard, I still think we should back him and believe we have more about us than Grimsby, Cheltenham and Darlington
I've replayed those incidents and you are absolutely right in my opinion.
